PHOENIXVILLE ­— The teacher and the student took turns fitting the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together during the Spring-Ford and Phoenixville field hockey game late Saturday afternoon at Washington Field.

The teacher is John Tornetta, the veteran Phoenixville field hockey coach. The student is Jennie Moore, the Spring-Ford coach who used to play for Tornetta at Phoenixville.

Now they both field strong Pioneer Athletic Conference teams, with Spring-Ford in the Liberty Division and Phoenixville in the Frontier Division.

This confrontation in which both sides knew each other’s strengths so well resulted in a lot of midfield and defensive work.

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In the end, Spring-Ford used a first-half goal by junior midfielder Alyssa Chillano and a second-half score by junior forward Gabby Major to edge the Phantoms, 2-0.

The undefeated Rams (12-0, 16-0 overall) used some stellar defense to thwart some potential chances by Phoenixville (9-2, 12-3-1), and the hosts prevented further damage with their own stout play at the other end of the field.

“We knew that number five (Bailey Quinn) was one of their players who scores a lot,” said Spring-Ford senior defender Simone Vagnoni. “It was our focus to play on her a lot and mark her. She was on my side. The coach told me just to be aware of her.”

“We’re definitely playing very well cohesively,” said Simone Vagnoni. “We play as a unit together. We (backs) all play really well together. We try to use a lot of communication.”

The Rams held off five Phantom penalty corners and five shots on goal. The Rams countered with six corners and eight shots, while Phoenixville goalie E.J. Werner came through with six saves.

“It was basically in the midfield,” said Moore. “There was a lot of sprinting back and forth. They (Phantoms) have a good team. We didn’t play our best today, but we found a way to win. That’s the important thing.”

Moore discussed the defensive mode that characterized the game.

“It was definitely a defensive game, and our defense has carried us the last couple of games,” she explained. “Phoenixville played good defense, too. It was kind of in the midfield most of the time. It was a good game.”

Moore talked about coming back home to play against Phoenixville and her former head coach, Tornetta, before she ventured on to Ursinus College.

“It’s always cool,” said Moore. “I haven’t been back here since I played. And to go against Tornetta, obviously he coached me. It is a good thing we have going. It is a good rivalry.”

“(The Rams) are a strong, solid team,” said Tornetta. “Jennie is doing a great job coaching them. We had a couple opportunities. We gave them everything we had, but it is hard to get past them.”

The Rams cut off some hits by Quinn, Meghan Loughery and Emily Chang up top.

Defensively, the Phantoms held their own against the high-octane offense of Spring-Ford with the likes of Chillano and Major, who assisted on the first goal with 20 minutes remaining in the first half.

Rachel Boone led the defensive backs along with Jessica Tague and Allison Trafford.

“On defense, Rachel Boone did a great job with some critical saves,” said Tornetta. “She has been constantly stepping up.

“We knew about Chillano and Major. We tried to play away from them, but they are so good they are everywhere. They definitely get their chances on the ball.”

Tornetta raved about the caliber of play on both sides.

“It was a good game,” said Tornetta. “They were just a step better in skill than some of our girls.”

The Phantoms will now look forward to Tuesday night’s rematch against Upper Perkiomen in Red Hill to decide the first- and second-place seeds from the Frontier Division for the Final Four playoffs.

“We have a big game against Upper Perk and this will help prepare us,” said Tornetta. “We have played good teams all year. We will have to play up again. We control our own destiny.”

NOTES

The Rams will close out the regular season against Methacton on Tuesday. ... The Phantoms have a game left against Pottsgrove after the Upper Perkiomen fray. ... The Final Four playoffs are planned for Tuesday and Thursday, Oct. 16 and 18, at Upper Perkiomen’s fields in Red Hill.